Sunday, August 19, 2012

Shades of Rose Gold

In metallurgy rose gold is the result of mixing copper, gold, and sometimes a bit of silver, together. For example, 18 karat rose gold is typically comprised of about 75% gold, 4% silver, and most importantly, 21% copper, which gives it that pretty blush tint. Rose gold has held appeal throughout history, as far back as the beginning of the 19th century in Russia, when it was for a time referred to as "Russian Gold." In the 1920s it became fashionable with the launch of Cartier's Trinity band. Today, the rose gold trend has been going strong for a couple of years, and just as in the jewelry world, in the current beauty world there is also an abundance of rose gold options available. This enduring popularity is not surprising given that this golden-copper-silver hybrid is flattering on a wide variety of skin tones and can be found in a spectrum of shades ranging from cool rose to warm, coppery hues--so whatever your preference, there is bound to be a suitable rose gold out there for you!

As you can see, for this feature I was fairly loose with my definition of rose gold and took the liberty of including shades that are quite dark and bronze-like together with much lighter, champagne-pink tones.

Sephora by OPI - Traffic-Stopper Copper

OPI - Pros & Bronze

Sally Hansen - Antique Bronze

Sephora by OPI - Chestnuts About You

Orly - Rage

MAC - Soirée

SpaRitual - Sun Salutation

Nails Inc. - Old Park Lane

Essie - Penny Talk

Deborah Lipmmann - Sugar Daddy

China Glaze - Swanky Silk

YSL - Rose Gold

The four above are similar enough to be interchangeable, but my favorites here, formula-wise, are SOPI's Chestnuts About You from holiday 2011, followed by Soirée, which was originally launched in 2010 with the Cham-Pale collection and was recently reintroduced as part of MAC's permanent range.

Sugar Daddy and Swanky Silk are both very pretty metallic rose-taupes with a greenish-gold duochrome. They appear to be identical on the nails. I prefer the formula of Sugar Daddy, as Swanky Silk has a thinner consistency and is more sheer, requiring more coats to achieve opacity.

Rose gold jewelry has been on my radar lately. I'd like to build a small collection of classic pieces, and would love to get a nice rose gold watch soon! I don't currently have much rose gold in my jewelry collection but did find this cute ring over the weekend and have had the hoop earrings shown below for a couple of years.

The sequined flip-flops below are from the brand Report and I purchased these at Nordstrom last year--they are so comfortable, and perfect for running to the grocery store on the weekends. The leather thong sandals are from Bernardo in the Milly style in the color "blush." They are a great, classic pair of sandals that coordinate with so many outfits. Perfect for summer dresses!

Do you have any favorite rose gold items? Have you grown tired yet of the rose-gold trend in jewelry and watches or do you hope it's here to stay?

Hi Liz, thanks so much! :) I haven't shopped at Elizabeth Arden in years, but when I heard about the rose gold collection from a beauty channel on YouTube I had to check it out in person. The products are very nice & the packaging is beautiful!

Are you happy with the Elizabeth Arden products. I have been going nuts trying to find them. I now know they are from the Spring Collection. Woops late to the party! I think I can still find them but want to know how you like them first. Thanks!

Hi, I tried the lipstick today - it is a mid-tone mauve-rose with silvery frost/shimmer. It is unscented, and has full coverage. When it starts to wear off it looks like a frosty lilac pink on me. I do like the shade, but it is a lot cooler-toned on me than it appears in swatches. I wouldn't say it is a must-have, but I think it is a nice pink for fall because of the plum tones. :) The packaging is very pretty!

Definitely NOT tired of the rose gold yet ;) All of your picks are so, so gorgeous! I love that Bare Minerals Rose Gold shadow and the Chantecaille Lumiere de Rose! Oh, and those 2 rings are adorable!!!

Nice rose and gold collection. I have the shade that you have from Bobbi Brown, too. It's a really nice make up brand. Thanks for all the pictures. I think i'll consider rose and gold sandals. I hope they look good on me.

Amazing collection of rose gold!! Rose gold is trendy and I love it in lip gloss and highlighters. The copper and bronze shades of nail polish also look awesome especially YSL rose gold. Sure to add it in my shopping list. Thanks a lot

Hi Lexi, Thank you! :) it does make a great lip gloss shade :) I would like a Michael Kors rose gold watch too! I've been looking at them for the last couple of weeks...I don't think I'll be able to get one any time soon but there are so many nice styles right now!

Hi there, Thanks for your comment and also for the suggestions. I will look up the Wildfox jewelry - the angel wing pieces sound pretty! I haven't tried Wet n'Wild's Penny For Your Thoughts but when I go shopping this weekend I'll see if my local drugstore carries it. A Calvin Klein rose gold handbag would be lovely! :)

Hello, and welcome! I'm a South Florida resident and a lover of nature and beauty with a passion for photography. I'll be sharing recent beauty finds, old favorites, and looks of the day, along with occasional random images of just about anything that catches my eye throughout my daily life.